


Long Summer's Love

by BarPurple



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: A Midsummer Night's Dream Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fae, Courtship, F/M, Interfering Sprite, Tricks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-27 07:40:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9983258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple
Summary: Titania and Oberon are reconciled and love reigns in the Fairy Court. A hopeful sprite begins a courtship with a fairy, but Puck has plans to nip their love in the bud.





	

All was happy and content in the Fairy Court after that strange Midsummer’s Night in Athens. Oberon and Titania were joyful in their love for each other once more and now was time for feasting, celebration and romance, there would be many unions formed between the Fae during this long season of summer. While some of the Fae had already begun courtship, and others were still dancing and feasting, there was one who had tucked himself out of the way on the edge of the hall and simply watched the festivities.

Stiltskein was an unusual spirte; a trickster who’s quick wit devised pranks that rivalled Puck’s mischief, yet he was a shy and quiet Fae who was often overlooked by the more boisterous members of the Court. His left wing and right leg were twisted and misshapen, the story was that a spider had tried to eat the pod from which he bloomed, but nobody was sure of the truth. The tale was a good one, and it did perhaps explain his fondness for spinning, a skill no other Fae possessed. Lacking natural spinnerets Stiltskein used a distaff like a human and had been complimented by Titania for the delicate thread he produced.

The twirling distaff did not falter in his clever fingers as Belladonna alighted beside him.

“Merry met Belladonna.”

“Merry met Stiltskein. The Queen is filled with marital bliss once more.”

“As is the King.”

“More honestly than the Queen I think.”

He knew of the trick Puck had played on the Queen with the juice of Love-in-Idleness, and from Belladonna’s tone he could tell she suspected something amiss in this reconciliation. She had a feisty temper and a sharp tongue when roused by an injustice, rather than sour the fair mood of the evening with an argument he kept his peace on the subject. Her bright blue eyes narrowed for a flash, but her face quickly resumed its normal sunny countenance, she was obviously in no mood for a fight tonight.

“Will you be seeking someone to court in this merry time?”

Stiltskein’s spinning stammered to a halt; “I’d not given it much thought.”

His words were not a lie, as such. True he had a brief few moments wondering if Belladonna would welcome to his courtship, but he’d laughed at himself for the foolish notion that a beautiful fairy like Belladonna would want to be tied to a crippled misfit like him, and left it at that. His fingers fidgeted with his distaff, but he didn’t start spinning again as he hesitantly asked; “Have you given any thought to a suitor?”

“There is one I hope will court me.”

He didn’t want to know, but he needed to hear the name of the Fae who had a chance at Belladonna’s heart. 

“Who?”

Soft insistent fingers caught his chin and raised his head to meet her eyes.

“You.”

She gave his cheek a fleeting kiss signalling her desire to court and be courted by him. He stared at her blankly for a beat, before kissing her cheek in return accepting her offer. She fluttered away with a giggle. Stiltskein watched after her with a love-struck smile before he gave himself a little shake and flittered away; if he was to court Belladonna properly then he had many things to prepare.

The exchange between Belladonna and Stiltskein was not unusual in this atmosphere of merry love, but it caught the eye of the King. He nudged Puck; “You once told me a trickster has no need of love, it would appear your compatriot disagrees with you sweet Robin.”

Puck caught the foolish grin on the face of his fellow sprite, but before he could jest that they must have brought a changeling back to court with them in place of Stiltskein, Titania slyly said; “If a sprite such as the Spinner can succeed in love then we should find wife for our dear Puck.”

Oberon kissed her hand, “A capital idea my Queen, should Stiltskein achieve the hand of Belladonna by the next full moon, we will put all our efforts into finding a wife for Puck.”

A stab of panic gripped Puck’s heart at the declaration of his King; he couldn’t disagree outright with Oberon, but twisted the meaning behind words was second nature to a impish sprite like him.

“If one trickster can woo and win, then I too’ll take a wife with a cheerful grin.”

Oberon accepted his words and led his Queen to join the dance. Puck blew out an angry breath. He wasn’t against love, it had its place in the world, but it made fools of mortals and Fae alike, why would he want to dabble with such nonsense?

“Tie myself to a shrew who’ll harangue and nag? A beauty’s face with the heart of a hag? I’ll thank you not my lordly King, I’ll see to it the Spinner ne’er gives a ring. Or if tis given, then not accepted, that way for sure my freedom is protected.”


End file.
